


Remembering Strawberries

by WritingReadingLaughing



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: F/M, One-Shot, Strawberries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-03
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-17 17:13:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingReadingLaughing/pseuds/WritingReadingLaughing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a year after Freya's death and Merlin still misses her. What will happen when Arthur follows him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remembering Strawberries

**Author's Note:**

> This is just to test the waters over here on AO3. This story has been co-posted on FF.net under the same pen name.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock

To Arthur, it seemed like any normal spring day, with the flowers beginning to bloom and the warm weather returning. His father was still sending out patrols looking for Morgana but they hadn’t found her yet. Arthur had just got back from one of those excursions the previous night and had collapsed in to bed without thinking. He had ordered Merlin to not wake him unless he was needed. A full night’s sleep would do him good.

Merlin had woken him up just before noon as the King had requested his presence. The servant was unusually quiet this morning and only returned some half-hearted comments and jokes. Arthur didn’t pursue the matter. Merlin was probably just tired from their patrol. Arthur dismissed him and made his way to the Council Chambers. The king waited in silence as Arthur made his report and didn’t speak for a long time afterwards. Arthur shifted his weight on to his other foot. The silence was oppressive.

“Double the patrols.” Came the kings voice. The tone indicated that he was in no mood to argue. With a small bow, Arthur exited the room. He headed off to give his orders to the next patrol, but he caught sight of a very familiar brown jacket and red neckerchief. Without thinking, Arthur turned to follow his manservant. The boy was walking a lot faster and with more purpose then he normally did. He was carrying something that Arthur couldn’t see and heading towards the tunnels that ran underneath the city.

Arthur watched as Merlin lit a torch and entered the tunnels before following him. The boy seemed to know exactly where to go. Arthur made sure to stay out of sight of Merlin. Within a few minutes Merlin finally decided to stop at a dead end. There were the remains of old candles sitting in the sand and Arthur had the sneaking suspicion that Merlin had been here before. Merlin put whatever he’d been carrying down on the floor, lit a candle and backed away. Then he turned around and headed back the way he’d come. Arthur ducked in to the darkness of an alcove just in time as Merlin passed within a few paces of him. Before following him back to the courtyard, Arthur took the time to look at whatever it had been that Merlin was carrying. In the flickering candlelight Arthur could see a small object.

It was a strawberry.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment!


End file.
